The ‘Investing in’ Jimi Hendrix Experience

Items of Hendrix memorabilia continue to see extremely high prices and competitive bids at auction. This afternoon to coincide with the anniversary, his black Fender Stratocaster guitar, played on his US tour in 1967, will be sold with an estimate of £125,000.

In just four short years of mainstream exposure, recognition and fame, Hendrix created more of a shockwave and a greater legacy than most musicians manage in decades.

He is still widely considered the greatest electric guitarist in history, and one of the most important 20th century musicians. Spearheading revolutionary techniques that would become characteristic of rock and roll, such as amplifier feedback and wah-wah, he created a sound unlike any before in his music.

The brief span of his career, cut short by his tragic death at the age of 27, has created something of a James Dean effect in terms of collectibles. The limited amount of memorabilia produced in this short time: concert tickets, stage worn costumes, posters, guitars and autographs, instigates the high-demand plus super-scarcity double whammy that results in a limited selection of items almost guaranteed to increase in value as time goes on.